Earlier today I happened to catch Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network preparing a meal with kids. She made the coolest dish everyone seemed to love and it sounded like pretty much the best idea ever: Macaroni & Cheese Cupcakes. There’s no actual cupcake involved, it’s basically mac & cheese that’s been baked in a cupcake mold… voilà, mac & cheese cupcakes. Brilliant!
As soon as I saw her make these I knew that I had to eat them, and that meant of course veganizing them. Her recipe uses the full mother lode of real diary products as well as a poor, ground up turkey, but I dispensed with all of that nonsense and simply adapted my own vegan macaroni & cheese recipe and then baked it in a muffin tin.
They came out so good… outstanding! What a fun way to eat something that’s already delicious. The main change I made to this was using the Mozzarella style “Italian” flavor of Daiya cheese instead of my usual cheddar, and I also added some dried oregano and basil to the mix. I wasn’t sure if I could trust the white Daiya to be as good as the cheddar for this purpose, but I’m pleased to report that it was just lovely.
I baked them at 375 for 15 minutes. They were still very soft right out of the oven so I had to let them cool for at least 10 minutes before I could remove them without everything falling apart. Even still, they were rather eager to fall apart… they’d set but just barely. Next time I make this I’ll need to experiment with getting the mixture to thicken up more so that the ‘cupcakes’ will hold together better. Perhaps less milk for a thicker sauce, or maybe adding in some cornstarch. Also, I used small elbow macaroni, maybe next time I’ll go with something like rotini pasta that would have more knooks & crannies for the cheese to stick to. Any suggestions for what you think could help hold these little beauties together better? Remember I’m using Daiya, not real cheese, so that’s why it’s not setting as well as real cheese would.
Here’s my recipe that I used:
Vegan macaroni & cheese recipe
and
Here’s Giada’s turkefied version where I got the inspiration:
Giada’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes
DO try this at home! I’d love to hear about your results and possible improvements.
You have got to be kidding me insane. perfect for a movie watching party.
Oooooh my gosh. Oh my gosh. You are a goddess. No, seriously, you are a goddess. I… I can’t wait for my next Daiya shipment.
OMG! Those look amazing! What a great idea! I have got to get me some Daiya.
Thanks you guys… y’all seriously need to give these a try!
These look awesome! I think I might love you.
Follow my recipe? They hold together beautifully. I just made a bajillion for Desmond’s third birthday party in the mini muffin pan, and I liked those even better because you get more of the chewy end-bits per cupcake.
http://www.yourveganmom.com/your_vegan_mom/2009/01/when-we-last-spoke-i-was-making-dinner-i-had-seitan-potatoes-and-kale-to-turn-into-some-sort-of-meal-for-the-family-reme.html
DAMN! Yes, please.
Trina: Wow, yours look incredible! How did I never see this before???
Hahahaha, this is brilliant. Truly inspired.
Daiya is delicious yet oily. Instead of using Earth Balance and flour as a roux to make the cheese sauce thick I use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and then add the Daiya. It’s simple, it melts beautifully and once it’s cooled just a bit it holds together and is thick and creamy, exactly how homemade mac and cheese is. I save the Earth Balance to whip with seasonings and then fold into Panko for the crunchy topping.